Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming how businesses operate across Africa, from predictive analytics in banking, to automated customer service in telecommunications and to traffic analysis and routing in the mobility and transportation sector. Across sectors, the promise of AI is clear, and enthusiasm for its adoption amongst African businesses is growing at an impressive pace.

AI has quickly become a board-level priority; however, successful implementation remains difficult to achieve. Too many initiatives stall after pilot phases, fail to deliver measurable return on investment (ROI), or encounter organisational resistance. This is not necessarily a technology failure, it seems more like a readiness gap.

In our previous publication, we emphasised that Nigerian businesses must first understand the fundamentals of GenAI such as current use cases, associated risks, and opportunities. Our report highlighted the ten essential questions that business leaders should ask to successfully launch GenAI initiatives in Nigeria. This report builds on that foundation by examining the AI readiness of African businesses, assessing their current capabilities, identifying critical gaps, and outlining strategic steps for effective AI adoption.